Friday the 13th (2009) Review

I don’t know how, but by some unusual design the entire 11-movie-spanning Friday the 13^th franchise passed me by over the course of the last 29 years.  I only just saw the 1980 original the day before this remake burst into theaters but thankfully enough, the mythology behind the series is blissfully simple.  Little retarded/physically-deformed boy drowns in a lake at a summer camp in 1956; his mother murders the camp counselors who should have been watching him; 24 years later she’s at it again, murdering new camp counselors on what would have been Jason’s birthday; the one survivor beheads Jason’s mother effectively ending the nightmare.  Oh wait…nope, turns out Jason survived(?) the drowning and has been living at the bottom of the lake for the last 24 years.  And he saw his mother get her head chopped off and he’s decidedly unhappy about it.  Much killing ensues. 

            I’m a firm believer that enjoyment of a movie is relative to the viewer.  It’s hard to say definitively that a movie is “awesome” or “crappy” without explaining exactly what you mean.  It is more accurate to say, “It’s not what I expected it to be,” if you’re disappointed than to say, “This is a steaming pile of dog turd.”  Expectations are everything when it comes to entertainment value.  A “good” movie will be one that meets your expectations.  A “bad” movie will be one that doesn’t meet your expectations.   A “great” movie will be one that exceeds your expectations.  Let me explain in the case with Marcus Nispel’s Friday the 13^th. (see Ed. note at bottom)

            This franchise established the modern horror slasher film in the early 80’s.  Its popularity was founded on several elements – teenagers in the woods, boobies (usually in conjunction with premarital sex), marijuana, unexpected and creative kills, and a single defining jump scene at the end of the film.  Jason stalks these unsuspecting teenagers and murders them.  Not for any real reason, but in his own mind I suppose he feels that these teenagers are threatening his home and he is simply protecting it.   I believe we are to assume Jason (who may or may not be retarded) never matures emotionally and/or mentally so he simply sees these teenagers as rivals who are infringing into his playground.  It’s hard to say.  But my point is, one does not see a Friday the 13^th movie for great drama, nuanced performances or character development.  If that’s what your expectations are, you will be disappointed.

            That in mind, if all you’re expecting is the aforementioned teenagers, drugs, nudity and killing then Friday the 13^th will be a fun ride.  The film doesn’t so much refine or build on the formula (that was established by the original) but it was never meant to. It is not a sequel or prequel but rather a trip down memory lane of sorts, a celebration of what made the series popular.  And in that regard, the film is a resounding success.  The film is a little short on the creativity of its kills, (with several exceptions – the sleeping bag scene is excellent) but on nearly every other level it fulfills expectations.  There was too much sex/nudity (of course, I am of the opinion that nudity is rarely if ever appropriate in film) and I do wish there was more motivation for Jason.  Or rather…I wish there was any motivation for Jason.  He simply kills to kill it seems like, which leaves the film feeling a little hollow. 

            One accomplishment I was very fond of was the general quality of the picture, framing, lighting, color, and cinematography.  Cinematographer Daniel Pearl brings the franchise to new heights in these terms, and it intensifies the atmosphere exponentially compared to earlier installments.  Given the proper expectations, viewers will be very much satisfied with this remake.

 

6/10

 

Friday the 13^th

 

Directed by Marcus Nispel

Produced by Michael Bay, Andrew Form, and Brad Fuller

Written by Damian Shannon, Mark Swift, and Mark Wheaton

Starring Derek Mears, Jared Padalecki, Danielle Panabaker, Aaron Yoo, Amanda Righetti, Travis Van Winkle

Music by Steve Jablonsky (included because I think he has a funny last name)

Cinematography by Daniel Pearl (because I appreciate the achievement in this category)

Rated R for strong bloody violence, some graphic sexual content, language and drug material

Ed. note - I would like to amend my comments about expectations.  I do not believe that a movie that meets your expectations necessarily means the movie is good.  I expected Mortal Kombat 2 to be an awful movie and it met my expectation to the letter, but I would never say it is a good movie.  Perhaps it is just more accurate to say that keeping your expectations in check is a good way to avoid disappointment in movies that could be considered disappointing otherwise.